Posts for Recommended Resources

Setting Our Sights On Heaven

In recent months, we’ve seen increased interest of heaven. This interest has been reflected in The New York Times bestseller list, which has been littered with books about this subject. These books contain “firsthand” accounts of people’s experiences in heaven, which they’ve returned to tell us about.

What is it about heaven that captures our attention? Is it the unknown and the speculative nature of it that gives us a place to exercise our imagination? Or is there something far deeper inside of us that longs to be in God’s place?

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Leaving A Legacy: the Gospel

Paul’s second letter to Timothy expressed an urgent desire for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preserved by Timothy and by future generations. His letter came at a time of great confusion and chaos in the culture, when reassurance was necessary. Anyone without faith in Christ would have considered the Gospel and Christianity to be on the brink of extinction.

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Already, Not Yet!

On this final day to request a copy of Jerry Bridges’ The Transforming Power of the Gospel, we are ending our excerpts the way he ends his book – with motivation to pursue Christlikeness under grace, but also with the realization that we are still hoping for the day when we will be with Christ for sinless eternity.

In his last chapter, Bridges reiterates God’s clear command throughout Scripture, “Be Holy, for I am Holy.” But he also warns us of being preoccupied with ourselves as he writes:

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Our Agent of Transformation

The transformation process the Bible describes is much more than a change of conduct or improved human morality; it is actually the work of the Holy Spirit in the very core of our being. In the only two instances in Scripture where the word transformed is used, it occurs both times in the passive voice. We are being transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18), and we are to be transformed (Romans 12:2). In both instances, we are the object, not the agent, of the transformation process; the agent is the Holy Spirit.

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Four Ways to Consider the Sinfulness of Our Sin

In his second chapter of The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Jerry Bridges discusses the sinfulness of sin. He points out that in the last several decades our society has stopped calling actions “sin,” now we just call them “mistakes.” And within the church we have stopped identifying ourselves as “sinners saved by grace” rather, now we are “saints who sin.”

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Bridges’ Thoughts on the Holiness of God

This excerpt is from the second chapter of Jerry Bridges’ book, The Transforming Power of the Gospel. For a donation of any amount, this book can be sent to you during the month of January. Jerry Bridges discusses the Holiness of God in an awe-inspiring, yet very tangible way. By expositing Isaiah’s vision of God (Isaiah 6:1-3), Bridges portrays the grandeur and perfection of the Almighty God and sheds light on the perplexing attribute of God, namely holiness.

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Three Life Lessons from Jerry Bridges on Being Transformed

This month we are offering the book The Transforming Power of the Gospel by Jerry Bridges to coincide with our current broadcast series on Romans 12 called Shaped by Grace. The heart of the book and the broadcast is to demonstrate that while “grace alone saves; grace that saves is never alone.

Join us in looking at excerpts from Jerry's book to gain a better understanding of how grace works in the life of the believer and to possibly pass his book along to a friend, family member or co-worker.

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The Transforming Power of the Gospel

This month's featured offer is a tremendous book from Jerry Bridges entitled "The Transforming Power of the Gospel." Alistair Begg writes the following about this resource:

“Jerry Bridges tells us what we must never forget: God’s ultimate purpose for His people is to conform them to the image of His Son. Combining his characteristic brevity and lucidity, Bridges reminds us why it matters and how it is accomplished.”

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Stott: Death a Neglected Issue

As we conclude the month of December, we’re also concluding the Radical Disciple excerpts from John Stott. While most people do not think about death near the holidays, Stott addresses the issue of death as a neglected issue. However, it might not be the type of death you are thinking of.

Stott writes:

The Paradox of Life Through Death
“The eighth and last characteristic of the radical disciple that I have chosen is death. Let me explain. Christianity offers life—eternal life, life to the full. But it makes it plain that the road to life is death. It underlines this in at least six areas, as I will go on to show in this chapter. Life through death is one of the profoundest paradoxes in both the Christian faith and the Christian life.

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Stott: Dignity of Dependence

As one of our last excerpts from Radical Disciple by John Stott, we examine another neglected facet of discipleship: dependence. He gives an anecdote from his own life to show his weakness and then exposits the Lord’s Prayer to summarize our two-fold essential calling as disciples.

A Moment of Weakness

“A recent experience of mine demonstrated my own weakness and dependence. It was Sunday morning, August 20, 2006, and I was due to preach in All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. I was putting away some clean laundry when I tripped over the protruding feet of a swivel chair and fell between my bed and bookcase. I knew at once that I had broke or dislocated my hip, for I could not move, let alone get up. I was able, however, to push the panic button I was wearing, and kind friends immediately came to my rescue. Hugh Palmer, rector of All Souls, found my sermon notes and somehow managed to preach my sermon. Only later did I note its appropriateness, for I had prepared an exposition of the Lord’s Prayer.

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Stott: Christian Maturity

Following are some excerpts on Christian growth and maturity from John Stott’s book Radical Disciple that Truth For Life is offering this month.

Growth without Depth

"There is no doubt of the phenomenal growth of the church in many parts of the world. The statistics of church growth are amazing. Explosion is no too dramatic a word to describe it. For example, the church in China has grown at least a hundredfold since the middle of the twentieth century. More Christian believers now worship God every Sunday in China than in all the churches of Western Europe put together...

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Free Book Giveaway Winners Chosen!

Congratulations to 25 winners chosen to receive "The Christ of Christmas" as our free book giveaway in December. We've sent an email to the following entries asking for an address. Merry Christmas!

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Costly Commitment Means Christlikeness

Stott mentions in his second chapter that the biblical basis for Christlikeness is not derived from one single text, rather the call for followers of Christ to be like Christ goes much deeper than one verse. He then uses Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2 as examples.

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Providence is Personal

Over the last couple months we have been airing our “Providence” series, where Alistair considered the life of Joseph. As Alistair mentioned, our comprehension of Joseph and his story is often constrained by the techni-colored coat, a few jealous brothers and the persistent adulteress, Potiphar’s wife.

However, when we dig deeper into the story of Joseph we realize that (like every Bible “story”) it occurred in real time and within a real context. While we can see God’s providential hand throughout Joseph’s individual life, we can also see how the life of Joseph fits into God’s providential and sovereign plan for all of creation. The story of Joseph is just one part of God’s plan to redeem a people for himself and to provide salvation for them.

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A Truth For Life Christmas

Not sure what to get that certain family member or friend for Christmas? Or maybe you’re tired of commercialism around Christmas and want to study the true story more in-depth? How about one of Truth For Life’s Christmas series, available for free download or to purchase as CD’s. You can also order any of the series by December 14 in order to receive it by Christmas.

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Getty Christmas CD: Buy one, GIVE one free!

Truth For Life is offering two copies of the Getty's Christmas album for the price of one! Order one for your family and receive another to give as a Christmas gift.

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Free Book Giveaway Contest!

Truth For Life is trying something fun this month -- we're giving away 25 free copies of "The Christ of Christmas" to our Facebook and Twitter friends. You can sign up below or on our Facebook page. This contest runs until Dec 15th when 25 winners will be chosen and notified.

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Radical Disciple: Costly Commitment

In John Stott’s final work, Radical Disciple, he sought to address the issue of people claiming Christ as Lord while failing to obey Him. He purposed to “consider eight characteristics of Christian discipleship which are often neglected and yet deserve to be taken seriously.”

We cannot think of Christmas without looking to the cross. And we cannot look to the cross without considering the cost Christ paid for us. And when we think of the cost Christ paid, we cannot neglect the cost of discipleship. Therefore, December seems an appropriate month to consider our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you committed to Christ? In what ways? Is your commitment only words?

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Preface from "Radical Disciple" by John Stott

Disciples or Christians?

Let me explain and justify the title of this book, The Radical Disciple.

First, why ‘disciple’?

It comes as a surprise to many people to discover that the followers of Jesus Christ are called ‘Christian’ only three times in the New Testament.

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Learning from Stott: Radical Discipleship

The closing of one year into a new one often stirs up a degree of nostalgia, regret, sadness, joy, pain and hope. This transition often causes memories of happy events like a recent graduation, a new marriage, a fun vacation, an impactful mission trip, a new baby in the family etc.

However, the passing of one year into another also leads to recollections of the painful events as well, like a shocking diagnosis, the loss of a job, the suffering of a marriage, the memory of who passed away etc.

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